The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.
Typically, a two-way radio is a radio that can both transmit and receive (a transceiver), unlike a broadcast receiver which only receives content. The two-way radio allows the operator to have a conversation with other similar radios operating on the same radio frequency or channel. Two-way radios are available in mobile, stationary base and hand-held portable configurations. One type of two-way radio may be used as one-on-one or one-on-many regional real-time communication devices for professionals working in public safety units, enterprises, such as the police, fire department, security, medical, search-and-rescue teams, etc. This radio does not rely on communication infrastructures such as 2G/3G networks or commercial communication networks.
It is known that a push-to-talk (PTT) button is a switch on a two-way radio that enables having conversations or talking on half-duplex communication lines, including two-way radio, using a momentary button to switch from voice reception mode to transmit mode. The PTT enables a half-duplex communication system that provides communication in both directions, but only one direction at a time (not simultaneously).
Typically in a half-duplex system, once a party begins receiving a signal, it must wait for the transmitter to stop transmitting, before replying. An example of a half-duplex system is a two-party system radio, wherein one must use “over” or another previously designated keyword to indicate the end of transmission, and ensure that only one party transmits at a time, because both parties transmit and receive on the same frequency.
Quite differently, in a full duplex system, both parties can communicate with each other simultaneously. An example of a full-duplex device is a telephone. The parties at both ends of a call can speak and be heard by the other party simultaneously. The earphone reproduces the speech of the remote party as the microphone transmits the speech of the local party, because there is a two-way communication channel between them, or more strictly speaking, because there are two communication paths/channels between them.
Generally, a cellular device, such as a cellular phone, is a small computing device, typically small enough to be handheld, having a display screen with a miniature and, in some models, a touchscreen. The cellular device typically operates on a cellular network or mobile network, where the last link is wireless. The network is distributed over land areas called cells, each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver, known as a cell site or base station.
Through the station the Multi-Functional Two-way Radio can simultaneously connect the two-way radio and the cell phone, which means the holder of the Station can communicate with the person using the cell phone as well as the person using two-way radio at the same time. In addition, the most important aspect, is that there is no cross hearing. For example, the person using the cell phone cannot hear the dialogue between the holder of Station and the person using two-way radio, and vice versa. This is because this invention is mostly used by law enforcement officers when pursuing crime.
In many instances, cellular devices have a button for establishing communication connections, typically designated send button, and also have a button for terminating communication connections, typically designated end button. To establish a connection for a conversation, a user typically enters a telephone number on a keypad, or selects a number from a stored directory of numbers, and then presses the send button. When a user receives a call, which for example, may be indicated by the telephone ringing or vibrating, typically the user presses the send button to answer the telephone and establish a connection for a conversation. To end a conversation, the user presses the end button to terminate the connection.
Communications with cellular devices are conducted in conjunction with a cellular telephone network which includes base stations, which wirelessly transmit information to, and receive information from, cellular telephones, and which are coupled to the public switched telephone network. Communications over cellular telephones are typically full-duplex, which means that both parties to the conversation can simultaneously send and receive information.
Other proposals have involved enabling communications between a two-way radio and a cellular device. The problem with these connecting devices is that they do not offer user-controlled selective interfacing between the two-way radio and cellular device. Also, the listening devices are not very discrete when worn. Even though the above cited communication connecting devices meets some of the needs of the market, a connective assembly for selectively interfacing a single listening device with a two-way radio and a cellular device that selectively interfaces a two-way radio and a cellular device and enables selective listening therebetween from a single listening device; whereby the assembly provides both a half-duplex and a full-duplex system that creates communication in both directions, including simultaneous connections is still desired.